Which is Australia’s most liveable city?

January 23, 2011 No comments

Where to go?

Today, Australian media is reporting on the results of a landmark survey by the Property Council of Australia. The survey looks at the capital cities of each of the Australian states \ territories. Residents were asked to score their cities on a number of factors. The most critical factors were;

- It is a safe place for people and their property
- There are good health care services
- There is a good public transport service
- There are good employment and economic opportunities
- It is an affordable place to have a good standard of living
- The city is clean and well maintained
- There is a good road network
- There are good schools and other education facilities
- There is a wide range of cultural entertainment options

The survey also looked at other factors such as affordable housing, housing types, environmental sustainability, and climate.

And the winner is…Adelaide

The winning city in the survey, the city voted the most liveable in Australia, is Adelaide in South Australia.

Here’s the full ranking;

1. Adelaide (South Australia)
2. Canberra (Australian Capital Territory)
3. Melbourne (Victoria)
4. Perth (Western Australia)
5. Hobart (Tasmania)
6. Brisbane (Queensland)
7. Darwin (Northern Territory)
8. Sydney (New South Wales)

Click here to view the Property Council’s full report for each city.

As a new Sydneysider it’s a shame to see Sydney rank so poorly in the survey but it’s not surprising when you look at the critical criteria. Sydney residents are notoriously disenchanted with their public transport service, and, as we’ve found, the cost of housing is high and standard relatively poor. We still love Sydney, and at this stage aren’t tempted to move anywhere else.

What do you think of the survey? Do you agree with the results? We’d love to hear from mums and families who have moved between any of these cities? If you’ve changed location since moving to Oz, where did you move from \ to? What were your reasons? Thank you.